Interviews of Thiagarajan Sugavanam, Master’s in Information Technology and Management graduate, The University of Texas at Dallas by Acarya Shubhacetanananda Avadhuta
1. Why do you like volunteering?
My parents and family members always insisted on doing service to the society and they help the needy. Probably, due to that I naturally liked to do service. I started my volunteer work in India at the age of 13 and have been volunteered for the common causes including to raise funds for the homeless children of the Tsunami victims and help them in their studies.
2. How did you get involve in yoga and meditation club?
When I came to the U.S for my Master’s in Fall 2012, I happen to meet Dada Advaya’nand at the UTD Yoga Club in my university. As I showed interest in meditation, Dada taught me the meditation techniques. I started practicing it gradually every day and eventually I got more attracted towards it. Now, I am very much involved in yoga and meditation. I practice them twice a day, morning and evening regularly for about 2 years.
3. How did you get benefited?
Yoga helps me to be physically fit and my body now has become more flexible. I have reduced my fat and weight. Initially, Meditation helped to be mentally stronger especially after leaving the home country, parents and family thousands of miles away. Later, I happen to face many academic and personal challenges. Student’s life is a very difficult one financially, emotionally with high academic pressures. I was able to easily complete all my assignments and Meditation helped to think and act properly. I got succeeded in all my endeavors. I feel energetic physically and mentally.
4. When did you establish yoga club?
I founded the Asana and Meditation Yoga Club (AM Yoga Club) at UT Dallas in January 2014. As I was the only active officer of the club, I have made a lot of efforts to establish the club. Baba’s grace slowly many random people started coming the club and now it has grown into 45 participants with 15 active members and 5 active officers. Interestingly, all the members of the club are from different parts of the world and are unconnected dots of the UT Dallas population who came to know about the club from social media.
5. Which organization did you join to volunteer?
In the U.S, I once volunteered for STF to raise funds for “Uthavum Karangal”, which supports poor, needy, orphans and old people with food, clothing, care, service and shelter, by promoting the Tamil tradition among the Indian kids in Allen. Most of the time, I volunteered for Ananda Marga. I liked this non-profit organization and the service it provides. I slowly started working with them in Fall 2012 and I have been volunteering continuously with them to do more service to the organization.
6. How did you get scholarship?
There was an event called Walk-A-Thon organized by Ananda Marga and Verizon to raise funds to build a charity hospital in India. As a Community Service leader of the SAP Users’ Group of UT Dallas, I supported the event by bringing my students team for the 5K walk at Irving, TX. This work was recognized by the University and published in their newsletter. Professor. Lou O Thompson, Advisor of the SAP Users’ Group recommended me for the scholarship. University officials acknowledged my charity work and offered me a scholarship in Spring 2014. I have been charged from international to in-state tuition fees with $1000 cash and that cut down my overall fess by $6000.
7. How did you get The President’s Volunteer Service Award?
I have put in over 300 hours in supporting Ananda Marga. I have logged all my volunteering hours in the U.S. president’s website and the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement at UT Dallas recognizes this effort and offered me the gold –level in the President’s Volunteer Service Award Pin, certificate of achievement and a note of congratulations from the President of the United States.